Replaceable blank firing barrel
A blank firing barrel for use with handguns is disclosed. The blank firing barrel is sized to be substituted for an existing live-ammunition firing barrel in a handgun. The blank firing barrel can be machined from a solid block of metal such as stainless steel so that the barrel end is a contiguous portion of the original solid metal block. A downwardly angled small pressure release hole can be drilled into the closed end so that gasses from firing the blank can be safely discharged. The open end of the blank firing barrel can be sized to only accept ammunition being smaller in diameter than regular ammunition that is used for the handgun. The under rear edges of the blank firing barrel can be angled so that said barrel safely recoils within the handgun when it is fired.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60,394,894, filed Jul. 10, 2002.
This invention relates to firearms, in particular to a replaceable barrel unit that can fire non-lethal blanks and be substituted for existing barrels in handguns.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ARTHandguns have been modified over the years to be able to fire blanks. Early in the twentieth century, screw-in inserts (U.S. Pat. No. 1,092,157 to Mauser) and subcaliber practice barrels (U.S. Pat. No. 1,517,328 to Weiss) were developed to modify handguns for firing blanks. Another typical technique for modifying the barrel on a handgun is either to plug or cap the open barrel end as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,180 to Leiter or U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,032 to Cohen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,822 to Sophinos, or provide a restrictor type washer inside the barrel. However, there are many problems with these well known techniques. For example, the existing barrels must be permanently modified in order to use these separate components which usually ruins the barrel's use for firing real ammunition. Thus, users must purchase new barrels in order to reuse the handgun to fire real ammunition, which is an added expense as well as an extra time consuming matter. Additionally, the separate components such as the plugs can be dangerous since these components can detach from the barrels and become moving projectiles when the handgun is being fired. Still furthermore, many of the blank firing handguns use real ammunition when being fired, which can also become dangerous if the plug type components fail and the real ammunition passes out of the firing handgun.
Other blank firing devices describe replaceable barrels with multiple parts, such as, inserts, recoil boosters as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,907,489; 5,140,893; 5,433,134; 6,357,331. Still furthermore, many of the prior art techniques require extensive modifications and many added parts and assembly required to be used with existing handguns, which is also an extra time consuming expense.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe first objective of the present invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for all known handguns that provides a safe system for law enforcement, security and personnel protection that can include near live firing, close quarter combat, other training activities, and theatrical enactments.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns that does not use a plug, cap or restrictor component inside the barrel.
The third objective of the present invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns that does not permanently destroy the existing barrel on the handguns.
The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns that can be easily substituted for the existing barrels on the handgun, and does not require any customization of an existing handgun to be used.
The fifth objective of this invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns where the barrel end has not been opened by drilling, machining, and the like, so that no material can become a projectile.
The sixth objective of the invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns that will not accept live ammunition.
The seventh objective of the invention is to provide a blank firing barrel for handguns that allows for barrel recoil when firing the blanks to effect a shock absorbing function so that its use more closely replicates firing of real ammunition.
The eighth objective of the invention is to provide a blank cartridge for use with the replaceable blank firing barrel.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment that is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
Referring to
In
The novel barrel can be machined with various dimensions to change the timing of the firing and cycling of the handgun weapon in which it is used. This is the reason for the chamfering of the top front of the locking breechblock, and the relieving of the rear lug on the bottom of the novel barrel. In
The firearm is loaded in the customary manner using blank cartridges that are prepared as described above.
The novel blank firing barrels can also be color coded, such as painted red, yellow, or the like, so that users can easily identify the novel barrels for use.
The novel blank firing barrel can be sized for being fit into various sized handguns, not only GLOCK 17, 19, 23, 26 and 34 models and 9 mm ammunition, but can be used in all calibers, makes and models of firearms. The example disclosed herein shows a novel blank firing firearm using 9 mm ammunition.
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
Claims
1. A blank firing barrel for handguns, comprising:
- a unitary, elongated metal blank firing barrel having an open end and an opposing solid end with a pressure relieving means, the opposing solid end with pressure relieving means being formed from the metal barrel, the blank firing barrel sized to be substituted for a live ammunition firing barrel in a handgun;
- means for restricting the blank firing barrel to use a blank cartridge instead of a live ammunition cartridge; and
- means for allowing the blank firing barrel to recoil in the handgun when the handgun is fired with a blank cartridge.
2. The blank firing barrel of claim 1, wherein the elongated metal blank firing barrel is formed by drilling into one end of a solid stainless steel block.
3. The blank firing barrel of claim 1, wherein the opposing solid end with pressure relieving means is approximately 0.110 inches thick.
4. The blank firing barrel of claim 1, wherein the restricting means includes:
- a cavity inside the blank firing barrel having a smaller diameter than a live ammunition cartridge.
5. The blank firing barrel of claim 4, wherein the smaller diameter is in a range from approximately 3% up to approximately 10% smaller than the live ammunition cartridge.
6. The blank firing barrel of claim 1, wherein the recoil means includes: a first angled cut at the top forward end of the breechblock and a second angled cut in a rear lug portion underneath the blank firing barrel.
7. The blank firing barrel of claim 6, wherein the first angled cut is approximately 45 degrees and the second angled cut is approximately 32 degrees.
8. The blank firing barrel of claim 3, wherein the pressure relieving means includes:
- an angled through-hole in the opposing solid end of the blank firing barrel.
9. The blank firing barrel of claim 8, wherein the angled through-hole includes:
- a downward angle of approximately 45 degrees.
10. The blank firing barrel of claim 9, wherein the angled through-hole includes:
- a downwardly projecting through-hole exiting from a lower end portion of the closed end of the blank firing barrel.
11. The blank firing barrel of claim 9, wherein the angled through-hole includes:
- an opening having a diameter of approximately 0.062 inches.
12. The blank firing barrel of claim 1, wherein the live ammunition cartridge includes:
- a 9 mm cartridge.
13. The blank cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge has a metal shell of reduced external diameter encapsulating powder formulated to produce the desired combustion and closed on one end with a rosette crimp.
14. The blank cartridge of claim 13, wherein the metal shell is of ammunition grade brass.
15. The blank cartridge of claim 13, wherein the metal shell is approximately 0.346 inches longer than a standard live round empty shell.
16. The blank cartridge of claim 13, wherein the metal shell is of reduced external diameter in contrast to a standard live round empty shell.
17. The blank cartridge of claim 16, wherein the metal shell is approximately 0.0153 inches reduced in diameter in contrast to a standard live round empty shell.
18. A method of forming a blank firing barrel for use with handguns, comprising the steps of:
- boring an opening solely through one end of a metal block so that an opposite end remains in an original solid state; and
- drilling a pressure release opening in the opposite solid end; and
- restricting the opening in the one end to only accept a blank cartridge; and
- sizing the metal block into a blank firing barrel to be inserted into a handgun.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sizing of the metal block into a blank firing barrel includes the forming of a breechblock on one end having a bottom part and a top part and a blank firing barrel at the opposite end.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sizing of the metal block includes forming a top part of the breechblock with an angle cut on the top forward end.
21. The angle cut of claim 20, wherein the angle is approximately forty-five degrees.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the sizing of the metal block includes forming a bottom part of the breechblock with a feed ramp lug located at the rear bottom section.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the sizing of the metal block includes an angular removal of material from the block positioned at the front face of the feed ramp lug.
24. The angular removal of material of claim 23, wherein the angle is approximately thirty-two degrees.
1092157 | April 1914 | Mauser |
1517328 | December 1924 | Weiss |
2075837 | April 1937 | Studler |
3369453 | February 1968 | Menneking et al. |
3645027 | February 1972 | Palmer |
3732776 | May 1973 | Snodgrass et al. |
3766822 | October 1973 | Sophinos |
3941029 | March 2, 1976 | Skahill |
4455777 | June 26, 1984 | Callies |
4907489 | March 13, 1990 | Teague |
5140893 | August 25, 1992 | Leiter |
5433134 | July 18, 1995 | Leiter |
5585589 | December 17, 1996 | Leiter |
5675106 | October 7, 1997 | Leiter |
5829180 | November 3, 1998 | Leiter |
6176032 | January 23, 2001 | Cohen et al. |
6276252 | August 21, 2001 | Dionne |
6357331 | March 19, 2002 | Dionne |
Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 27, 2003
Date of Patent: Feb 1, 2005
Inventor: Neal A. Kirschner (Rockledge, FL)
Primary Examiner: Michael J. Carone
Assistant Examiner: M. Thomson
Attorney: Law Offices of Brian S. Steinberger, P.A.
Application Number: 10/608,974